Aerosol Generation Device

ABSTRACT

An aerosol generation device includes an aerosol generating substrate heated to form an aerosol. More specifically, an aerosol generation device includes: an aerosol generation chamber configured to receive and heat a substrate to generate aerosol, the aerosol generation chamber including at least a heating element; a cover which can be in a closed position covering an aperture in the device, and in an open position exposing the aperture; and a tray for receiving and holding the substrate.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure relates to an aerosol generation device in whichan aerosol generating substrate is heated to form an aerosol. Thedisclosure is particularly applicable to a portable aerosol generationdevice, which may operate at low temperature. Such devices may heat,rather than burn, tobacco or other suitable aerosol substrate materialsby conduction, convection, and/or radiation, to generate an aerosol forinhalation.

BACKGROUND

The popularity and use of aerosol generation devices (also known ase-cigarettes and heat-not-burn products) has grown rapidly in the pastfew years. Various devices and systems are available that heat or warmaerosolisable substances as opposed to burning tobacco in conventionaltobacco products.

Devices of this type generate an aerosol or vapour by heating an aerosolsubstrate that typically comprises moist leaf tobacco or other suitablesolid aerosolisable material to a temperature typically in the range150° C. to 350° C. Heating such an aerosol substrate, but not combustingor burning it, releases an aerosol that comprises the components soughtby the user but not the toxic and carcinogenic byproducts of combustionand burning. Furthermore, the aerosol produced by heating the tobacco orother aerosolisable material does not typically comprise the burnt orbitter taste resulting from combustion and burning that can beunpleasant for the user and so the substrate does not therefore requirethe sugars and other additives that are typically added to suchmaterials to make the smoke and/or vapour more palatable for the user.In such devices, the aerosol substrate is heated by a heating element,for example in a heating chamber. The aerosol substrate is consumedthrough generation of the aerosol and must be regularly replaced. It istherefore desirable to provide a convenient way of replacing the aerosolsubstrate in the heating chamber.

Additionally, it is desirable to generate more aerosol from a givenquantity of aerosol substrate, and therefore it is desirable to providea device that can heat the aerosol substrate to generate aerosol moreefficiently.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to a first aspect, the following disclosure provides anaerosol generation device comprising: An aerosol generation chamberconfigured to receive and heat a substrate to generate aerosol, theaerosol generation chamber comprising at least a heating element; anoblong housing; a tray configured to receive and hold the substrate; anda lid which is connected to the tray and which can be in a closedposition covering the aerosol generation chamber and in an open positionexposing the aerosol generation chamber; wherein when the lid is in theopen position, the tray is located at least partially outside of theaerosol generation chamber and can receive a substrate, or a substrateheld by the tray can be removed from the tray by the hand of the user,and when the lid is in the closed position, the substrate is containedin the aerosol generation chamber; and the lid is configured totransition from the open to the closed position by translating towardsthe aerosol generation chamber in a longitudinal direction of thehousing, whereby the tray is translated in the longitudinal directioninto the aerosol generation chamber and a substrate held by the tray ispressed against the heating element.

The tray provides an intuitive and robust way to replace the aerosolsubstrate consumable by removing a used substrate from the tray andputting an unused substrate on the tray. By moving the lid from the openposition to the closed position, the substrate is then moved into theaerosol generation chamber, providing a simple and intuitive way for auser to place the substrate in the right position. Additionally, bymovement of the tray into the aerosol generation chamber, the substrateis put in contact with the heating element, thereby improving aerosolgeneration efficiency.

In a second aspect of the invention according to the first aspect of theinvention, the tray comprises at least one bolt that is configured to beplaced inside a guide rail.

This allows for the tray to be guided along a specific track along aguide rail, which improves intuitive handling and ensures the correctpositioning of the substrate relative to the heating element, therebyimproving aerosol generation efficiency.

In a third aspect of the invention according to the second aspect of theinvention, the bolt consists of or comprises a pair of studs.

Providing two studs on the sides of the tray rather than one continuousbolt extending from both sides of the tray reduces material usage andimproves the device's cost efficiency.

In a fourth aspect of the invention according to any one of thepreceding aspects of the invention, the aerosol generation devicecomprises a guide rail configured to receive the bolt and guide the trayduring translation into or out of the aerosol generation chamber.

This allows for exact control of the distance of the tray to the heatingelement. Thus, aerosol generation efficiency can be improved.

In a fifth aspect of the invention according to any one of the precedingaspects of the invention, the tray during translation in thelongitudinal direction into the aerosol generation chamber is alsotranslated in a direction substantially perpendicular to thelongitudinal direction and towards the heating element.

This ensures that when the lid is in closed position, the substrate isin direct contact with the heating element, thereby improving aerosolgeneration efficiency.

In a sixth aspect of the invention according to the fifth aspect of theinvention, the guide rail tapers in the longitudinal direction whenapproaching the heating element, thereby causing or contributing to thetranslation of the tray in the direction perpendicular to thelongitudinal directions.

The tapering of the guide rail forces the tray and therefore thesubstrate to get closer to the heating element as the tray moves intothe aerosol generation chamber. Eventually, the substrate can be pressedagainst the heating element, which ensures continuous contact betweenthe substrate and the heating element during consumption of thesubstrate. This improves the aerosol generation efficiency.

In a seventh aspect of the invention according to any of the fourth tothe sixth aspect of the invention, the guide rail is mounted movably inthe aerosol generation device and is guided by a second guide rail bymeans of at least one second bolt, such that the two guide rails form atelescopic mechanism.

The second guide rail stabilizes the tray when the lid is in openposition. Furthermore, the second guide rail allows for longertranslation of the tray out of the aerosol generation chamber, thuseasing a user's access to the substrate.

In an eighth aspect of the invention according to the seventh aspect ofthe invention, the second bolt consist of or comprises a second pair ofstuds.

Providing two studs on the sides of the tray rather than one continuousbolt extending from both sides of the tray reduces material usage andimproves the device's cost efficiency.

In a ninth aspect of the invention according to any one of the seventhor the eighth aspect of the invention, the second guide rail tapers bymeans of an inclination along the edge further away from the heatingelement.

The tapering of the guide rail forces the tray and therefore thesubstrate to get closer to the heating element as the tray moves intothe aerosol generation chamber. Eventually, the substrate can be pressedagainst the heating element, which ensures continuous contact betweenthe substrate and the heating element during consumption of thesubstrate. This improves the aerosol generation efficiency.

In a tenth aspect of the invention according to the sixth aspect of theinvention, the lid comprises a securing mechanism for securing theposition of the lid with respect to the aerosol generation chamber inclosed position.

This fixes the lid in the closed position to prohibit undesired openingof the lid. Furthermore, the means for fixing may provide a secondfixpoint in addition to the first fixpoint which is provided by the boltin the guide rail. Thus, by means of the fixing means, a tilted tray maybe brought into a horizontal position parallel to the heating element.Lastly, the fixation means provides haptic feedback to a user as to whenthe lid is in place and the substrate is in the correct position insidethe aerosol generation chamber.

In an eleventh aspect of the invention according to the tenth aspect ofthe invention, the securing is realized by magnetic force.

Using magnetic force for the securing is easy to realize and is nosubject to deterioration, making the device more durable. Furthermore,magnetic force provides eve better haptic feedback to a user as to whenthe lid is in place and the substrate is in the correct position insidethe aerosol generation chamber.

In a twelfth aspect of the invention according to any one of thepreceding aspects of the invention, the lid comprises a recess portionlocated at an end of the lid which faces the aerosol generation chamber.

This allows for easy and intuitive handling of the device for a user.

In a thirteenth aspect of the invention according to any one of thepreceding aspects of the invention, the substrate has the shape of aplate, pad, or disk.

A substrate having such a shape is substantially flat and can easily beput in contact with a substantially flat heating element, ensuringpermanent contact and improving aerosol generation efficiency. Also, theratio between the surface in contact with the heating element and thevolume of the substrate is relatively large, thereby further increasingaerosol generation efficiency.

In a fourteenth aspect of the invention according to any one of thepreceding aspects of the invention, the tray comprises a recess,configured to receive and hold the substrate.

A recess in the tray secures the substrate on the tray and prohibitsmovement of the substrate relative to the tray during translation of thetray into the aerosol generation chamber. This ensures that thesubstrate can be brought into the correct position relative to theheating element, and aerosol generation efficiency is improved.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a top view of the aerosol generation device, with the lidin the open position.

FIG. 2 shows a top view of the aerosol generation device, with the lidin the closed position.

FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional top view of the aerosol generationdevice, with the lid in the open position.

FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional top view of the aerosol generationdevice, with the lid in between the open position and the closedposition.

FIG. 5 shows a cross-sectional top view of the aerosol generationdevice, with the lid in the closed position.

FIG. 6 shows a side view of the aerosol generation device, with the lidin the closed position.

FIG. 7 shows a side view of the aerosol generation device, with the lidin the open position.

FIG. 8 shows a cross-sectional side view of the aerosol generationdevice, with the lid in the open position.

FIG. 9 shows a cross-sectional side view of the aerosol generationdevice, with the lid in between the open position and the closedposition.

FIG. 10 shows a close-up view of the tray.

FIG. 11 shows a close-up view of a guide rail.

FIG. 12 shows a close-up view of a second guide rail.

FIGS. 13 to 15 show close-up views of a sliding element.

FIG. 16 shows a cross-sectional side view of the aerosol generationdevice, with the lid in the closed position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In the following, preferred embodiments of the present invention will bedescribed in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In thedescription of the drawings, the same or similar reference numeralsdenote the same or similar parts. It should be noted that the drawingsare schematic, and the ratios of dimensions and the like may bedifferent from the actual ones.

The aerosol generation device 1 is configured to work with asubstantially cuboid substrate 11, preferably having a flat shape. In atypical example, the size of the substrate 11 is 18×12×1.2 mm.Generally, the length of the substrate in the preferred embodiments isbetween 40 and 10 mm, preferably between 30 and 12 mm, more preferablybetween 25 and 14 mm, and most preferably between 22 and 15 mm. Thewidth of the substrate in the preferred embodiments is between 30 and 6mm, preferably between 25 and 8 mm, more preferably between 20 and 9 mm,and most preferably between 16 and 9 mm. The height of the substrate inthe preferred embodiments is between 3 and 0.5 mm, preferably between 2and 0.6 mm, more preferably between 1.8 and 0.8 mm, and most preferablybetween 1.6 and 0.9 mm.

The aerosol substrate may for example comprise nicotine, tobacco and/oran aerosol former. Tobacco may take the form of various materials suchas shredded tobacco, granulated tobacco, tobacco leaf and/orreconstituted tobacco. Suitable aerosol formers include: a polyol suchas sorbitol, glycerol, and glycols like propylene glycol or triethyleneglycol; a non-polyol such as monohydric alcohols, acids such as lacticacid, glycerol derivatives, esters such as triacetin, triethylene glycoldiacetate, triethyl citrate, glycerin or vegetable glycerin. In someembodiments, the aerosol generating agent may be glycerol, propyleneglycol, or a mixture of glycerol and propylene glycol. The substrate mayalso comprise at least one of a gelling agent, a binding agent, astabilizing agent, and a humectant. The aerosol substrate may be poroussuch that air can flow through the substrate and collect aerosol as itdoes so. The substrate may for example be a foam, or packed strands orfibres. The substrate may be formed through an extrusion and/or rollingprocess into a stable shape. The aerosol generating substrate may beshaped to provide one air flow channel or multiple air flow channels.These can be aligned with the air flow channel of the aerosol generatingdevice in order to increase air flow through the heating chamber. Thesubstrate is exposed with a bare external surface. Alternatively, thesubstrate may comprise an air-permeable wrapper covering at least partof a surface of the aerosol generating substrate. The wrapper may, forexample, comprise paper and/or non-woven fabric.

The aerosol generation chamber 15 may simply be an interior volume ofthe housing 2, but the aerosol generation chamber 15 is preferablyenclosed by an insulating enclosure within the housing 2, so thatadditional components such as control circuitry and an electrical powersource (not shown) are insulated from heat provided within the aerosolgeneration chamber 15. The housing may generally be made from any rigidmaterial such as a thermoplastic or a metal (e.g. aluminium). Theinsulating enclosure may be made from a heat-resistant material such aspolyethylene terephthalate (PET), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), orpolyamide (PA) in order to prevent thermal deformation or melting. Theheat resistant material may be a super engineering plastic such aspolyimide (PI), polyphenylenesulfide (PPS) or polyether ether ketone(PEEK).

The substrate 11 is positioned in the aerosol generation chamber 15 byinserting a tray 5 carrying the substrate 11 into the aerosol generationchamber 15. The substrate can be placed onto the tray when the lid is inthe open position. When the tray 5 is inserted into the aerosolgeneration chamber 15, the tray 5 is guided into a position where thesubstrate 11 is held in the aerosol generation chamber 15, as depictedin FIG. 10 . However, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 8 , the tray 5 may also bein a second position, where the substrate 11 can be placed onto orremoved from the tray 5.

During or after a time at which the substrate 11 is heated to generatethe aerosol, air is driven towards the mouthpiece 3 to provide theaerosol to a user. In some embodiments, the air is driven by a userinhaling. In other embodiments, the aerosol generation device 1 maycomprise a pump for pumping air towards the mouthpiece 3 to provide theaerosol.

Referring to FIG. 1 , an aerosol generation device 1 is illustrated. Thedevice may comprise an oblong housing 2, and a mouthpiece 3 which can beused to suck the generated aerosol out of the device. In the openposition, as is illustrated in FIG. 1 , the tray 5 is located outsidethe aerosol generation chamber and exposed to a user, because lid 7 isin open position. The tray 5 may comprise a recess 6 or other means tofixate a substrate which may be inserted by a user. The lid 7 may betranslated into the closed position by sliding it along the longitudinaldirection 8 of the housing 2.

FIG. 2 depicts the same embodiment of the aerosol generation device 1 asFIG. 1 . However, in FIG. 2 , the cover 7 is in closed position. Fromthe closed position, the cover can be translated back to the openposition by sliding it in the opposite direction of longitudinaldirection 8.

FIG. 3 depicts a cross-sectional top view of the embodiment of aerosolgeneration device 1, with the lid 7 in open position. The tray 5 isslidably held by sliding element 4 which itself is held in guide rail12, forming a telescopic mechanism. Sliding element 4 is preferablyU-shaped, however, in some embodiments may have different shapes such asparallel bars or the like. Depicted in FIG. 4 is the same embodiment ofaerosol generation device 1, wherein the lid 7 is in between the openand the closed position. Therein, sliding element 4 is located insidethe housing, while tray 5 is still located partly outside of thehousing. FIG. 5 shows the same embodiment of aerosol generation device 1with lid 7 in closed position. Here, tray 5 is fully contained insidethe housing and substrate 11 is therefore located inside the aerosolgeneration chamber.

FIG. 6 depicts a side view of the embodiment of aerosol generationdevice 1, with the lid 7 in open position. The tray 5 may be connectedto the lid 7 by means of screwing, adhering or the like, ensuring thatthe tray 5 is always in a fixed position relative to the lid 7. Thismeans that when the lid 7 is slid from the open to the closed positionin the longitudinal direction 8 of the housing 2, the tray is translatedin the same direction. In some embodiments, the lid and the tray may bemanufactured as one piece.

FIG. 7 depicts a side view of the embodiment of aerosol generationdevice 1, with the lid 7 in closed position. From the closed position,the lid can be translated into the open position by moving the lid inthe opposite direction of the longitudinal direction 8 of the housing.To ease handling of a user, a recess 16 may be provided at the lid 7,configured to improve a user's grip to the lid by receiving a user'sfinger.

FIG. 8 depicts a cross-sectional side view of the embodiment of aerosolgeneration device 1 with lid 7 in open position. Tray 5 is locatedmostly outside of housing 2 with substrate 11 located outside of aerosolgeneration chamber 15. Sliding element 4 is placed inside guide rail 12by means of bolt 14. In a preferred embodiment, there are two guiderails 12 placed on both sides of aerosol generation chamber 15. However,in some embodiments, there may be only one guide rail 12 provided, forinstance centrally underneath sliding element 4.

In a preferred embodiment, guide rail 12 has a shape as depicted in FIG.12 . When lid 7 is in open position, bolt 14 is located in a firstportion 21 of guide rail 12. When lid 7 is in closed position, bolt 14is located in a second portion 22 of guide rail 12. By means ofinclination portion 23 bolt 14 is guided upwards and towards a level 20of heating element 10. By this movement, sliding element 4 is alsoguided upwards towards level 20 of heating element 10.

Tray 5 is connected to sliding element 4 by means of bolts 24 which willbe specified closer with reference to FIG. 10 . Bolts 24 are configuredto be placed inside guide rail 32 in sliding element 4. Thus, tray 5 ismovable with respect to sliding element 4 by means of guide rail 32,said sliding element 4 being movable with respect to housing 2 by meansof guide rail 12.

The aerosol generation chamber 15 comprises one or more heating elements10 configured to heat and generate aerosol from a substrate 11. Theheating elements are preferably electric heating elements, such asresistive heating elements, but any type of heating element suitable forsupplying heat to the aerosol generation chamber 15 may be used. Theheating element 10 preferably has a substantially flat configuration butmay have different shapes in some embodiments.

The heating element 10 may be powered by an electrical power source suchas a removable battery, a rechargeable battery or the like. Theelectrical circuitry needed for powering the heating element is known tothe skilled person and is not discussed here.

Aerosol generation device 1 may also comprise securing means 25 whichare configured to secure lid 7 with respect to housing 2 when lid 7 isin closed position as can be seen in FIG. 10 . In some embodiments,fixing means 25 may be provided as a pair of magnets securing lid 7 tohousing 2 while providing haptic feedback to a user of the device.

FIG. 9 depicts the embodiment of aerosol generation device 1 with thelid 7 being in between the open and closed position. As can be seen, ifonly one bolt 14 is provided, only one end of the sliding element istranslated towards heating element 10, which means only one edge of thesubstrate 11 may be pressed towards heating element 10 by means of thebolt. A second edge may be pressed towards heating element 10 by meansof securing means 25 which ensures that the whole surface of substrate11 is pressed towards heating element 10.

In another embodiments, more than one guide rail and more than one boltmay be provided to ensure full contact of the substrate 11 with heatingelement 10. For instance, two pairs of guide rails may be providedlongitudinally spaced from each other. Sliding element 4 may thencomprise two bolts, wherein a first bolt is laced in a first pair ofguide rails and a second bolt is placed in a second pair of guide rails.

In yet another embodiment, bolt 14 may have an elongate shape with awidth substantially equal to the width of a second portion 22 of guiderail 12 and a length being at least twice as large as the width of asecond portion 22 of guide rail 12, preferably at least thrice as largeas the width of a second portion 22 of guide rail 12, more preferably atleast four times as large as the width of a second portion 22 of guiderail 12. As such an elongate bolt is moved into the second portion 22 ofguide rail 12, it arranges the sliding element 4 substantially parallelto heating element 10. Thus, the whole surface of substrate 11 is incontact with heating element 10.

As illustrated in FIG. 10 , tray 5 has a recess 6 for receiving andholding the substrate 11. A depth D2 of the recess 6 is smaller than aheight D1 of the substrate 11 such that, when the substrate 11 isarranged in the recess 6, the substrate 11 partly protrudes out of therecess 6. The tray comprises one or more bolts 24, which are longer thanthe width of the tray and arranged such that they project out of bothsides of tray 5. In some embodiments, each bolt may be provided asmerely a pair of studs projecting out of the sides of the tray. Thebolts 24 are configured to be placed inside the guide rail 32 in slidingelement 4.

FIG. 12 depicts an alternative embodiment of a guide rail 112. Herein, abolt may be translated from a first portion 121 of guide rail 112 to asecond portion 122 of guide rail 112. It may then be shifted towards alevel 20 of heating element 10 by means of inclination portion 123.Despite the different shape of guide rail 112, the comments made withregard to the functionality of guide rail 12 also apply.

FIGS. 13 to 15 depict different embodiments of sliding element 4. Asdepicted in FIG. 13 , in some embodiments, sliding element 4 maycomprise a guide rail 32 configured to receive bolts 24, havingsubstantially the same shape as guide rail 12. In other embodiments, asdepicted in FIG. 14 , sliding element may comprise a guide rail 132configured to receive bolts 24, which has substantially the same shapeas guide rail 112. In yet some other embodiments, as depicted in FIG. 15, sliding element 4 may comprise a guide rail 232 configured to receivebolts 24, guide rail 232 being substantially straight, therefore notcausing an additional movement of tray 5 towards level 20 of heatingelement 10.

As the skilled person will understand, all configurations of guide railsare equally functional and may be provided exchangeable without leavingthe scope of the invention.

FIG. 16 illustrates the aerosol generation device 1 in a state ready togenerate aerosol, where the cover 7 is in the closed position, and thesubstrate 11 is inside the aerosol generation chamber 15. The substrateherein is heated by heating element 10 and an aerosol can be generated.The aerosol may then be provided to a user through mouthpiece 3.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

-   -   1 Aerosol generation device    -   2 Housing    -   3 Mouthpiece    -   4 Sliding element    -   5 Tray    -   6 Recess    -   7 Lid    -   8 Longitudinal direction    -   10 Heating element    -   11 Substrate    -   12 Guide rails    -   14 Bolt(s)    -   15 Aerosol generation chamber    -   20 Level of the heating element    -   21 First portion of a guide rail    -   22 Second portion of a guide rail    -   23 Inclination between portions    -   24 Bolt(s)    -   25 Securing means    -   32 Guide rail    -   112 Guide rail    -   121 First portion of a guide rail    -   122 Second portion of a guide rail    -   123 Inclination between portions    -   132 Guide rail    -   232 Guide rail

1. An aerosol generation device comprising: an aerosol generationchamber configured to receive and heat a substrate to generate aerosol,the aerosol generation chamber comprising at least a heating element; anoblong housing; a tray configured to receive and hold a substrate; and alid connected to the tray and configured to be in a closed positioncovering the aerosol generation chamber and in an open position exposingthe aerosol generation chamber; wherein when the lid is in the openposition, the tray is located at least partially outside of the aerosolgeneration chamber and is configured to receive a substrate, or asubstrate held by the tray can be removed from the tray by a hand of auser, and when the lid is in the closed position, the substrate iscontained in the aerosol generation chamber; and the lid is configuredto transition from the open position to the closed position bytranslating towards the aerosol generation chamber in a longitudinaldirection of the housing, whereby the tray is translated in thelongitudinal direction into the aerosol generation chamber and asubstrate held by the tray is pressed against the heating element. 2.The aerosol generation device according to claim 1, wherein the traycomprises at least one bolt that is configured to be placed inside aguide rail.
 3. The aerosol generation device according to claim 2,wherein the at least one bolt consists of or comprises a pair of studs.4. The aerosol generation device according to claim 2, furthercomprising a guide rail configured to receive the at least one bolt andguide the tray during translation into or out of the aerosol generationchamber.
 5. The aerosol generation device according to claim 4, whereinthe tray during translation in the longitudinal direction into theaerosol generation chamber is also translated in a directionsubstantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and towardsthe heating element.
 6. The aerosol generation device according to claim5, wherein the guide rail tapers in the longitudinal direction whenapproaching the heating element, thereby causing or contributing to thetranslation of the tray in the direction substantially perpendicular tothe longitudinal directions.
 7. The aerosol generation device accordingto claim 4, wherein the guide rail is movably mounted in the aerosolgeneration device and is guided by a second guide rail by at least onesecond bolt, such that the two guide rails form a telescopic mechanism.8. The aerosol generation device according to claim 7, wherein the atleast one second bolt consists of or comprises a second pair of studs.9. The aerosol generation device according to claim 7, wherein thesecond guide rail tapers in an inclination along an edge thereof furtheraway from the heating element.
 10. The aerosol generation deviceaccording to claim 6, wherein the lid comprises a securing mechanism forsecuring a position of the lid with respect to the aerosol generationchamber in the closed position.
 11. The aerosol generation deviceaccording to claim 10, wherein the securing mechanism is a pair ofmagnets securing the lid to the housing.
 12. The aerosol generationdevice according to claim 1, wherein the lid comprises a recess portionlocated at an end of the lid which faces the aerosol generation chamber.13. The aerosol generation device according to claim 1, furthercomprising a substrate having a shape of a plate, a pad, or a disk. 14.The aerosol generation device according to claim 1, wherein the traycomprises a recess, configured to receive and hold the substrate.